Santa Wears A Trench Coat
by death-in-the-orchard
Summary: Abraham van Hellsing, plus Christmas, plus bonding time between John Seward and Alucard, equals... What?


John Seward took a deep, liberating breath of winter air, sighing out a cloud that wrapped around his face as his tan gloves caught one another to warm his hands. Green eyes darted up to the sign above the door, shaded by sandy bangs, and the man read the store name he had been searching for. The accomplishment brought a smile to his face, but the expression was soon wiped away by a presence that made the cold frigid and biting rather than cleansing. Alucard stared at him blankly, the red eyes making John nervous and irritated at the same time. He ignored the vampire and stepped into the shop.

The bell tingled pleasantly when the door opened, and then again when it shut. A shiver started to descend the man's spine when he did not hear the bell when Alucard entered.

For God's sake, it's Christmas. John closed his eyes and sighed bitterly. Why would Abraham force the creature on me now? Especially when I came to buy his gift… Green eyed the vampire with distaste. I doubt he even cares about the holidays.

"You came here with a purpose, Seward. Buy what you wanted to buy and then leave. I would much rather be sleeping." Alucard's voice floated into the man's ear, making him frown.

"Same here." He muttered as he escaped the shop keeper to look through the merchandise by himself. He was surrounded by shelves and racks of clothes and assorted trinkets. Abraham liked curious items… John smirked, thinking of the vampire, and he turned to see the demon skirting the shadows and drifting about the store. John looked at the row of jackets before him. But the man did need a new coat, the red one was…a bit flamboyant. "Just like the vampire." He murmured, shifting through the clothes.

Alucard scowled at the round man that was attempting to follow him with his eyes. The shopkeeper's monocle flashed as his head would snap in a different direction and then another. Paranoid man, Alucard thought. It wasn't out of fear… the man was just protective of his goods and he didn't like the look of the customer dressed in the red trench coat with a red, bow ribbon tucked under his collar. The lengthy locks of black hair made the red eyes more obvious, giving Alucard a suspicious air about him.

I'm not here to steal your crap, old man. Alucard looked at the glittering trinkets for a moment and then scowled again, glaring at the monocle before disappearing behind a row of clothes and weaved baskets. Something bright caught the vampire's eyes, finding the color familiar, and he paused, staring at the object detachedly.

John sensed movement and his eyes darted about to find an object streaming through the air as the ball unraveled and draped over his face, covering one of his widened eyes. He blinked several times before pulling the soft, woolen cloth away. He turned it over in his hands for a moment as his mind tried to figure out how the scarf had managed to do what it'd done. Suddenly, he recognized the distinct blue and his mouth formed a small gape. He snapped his teeth when he shut his mouth, and he pivoted, looking for the vampire. When Alucard didn't come into view, and John saw the shopkeeper glare at the door, the young man determined the creature had gone outside after throwing the scarf across the shop.

A smile slowly twitched John's lips and he threw the cloth across his shoulder to look through the trinkets that glittered pleasantly on a table nearby. He chuckled as his eyes glanced over the objects.

Time passed and the monster must have gotten bored because a red figure appeared in the corner of John's eye as he moved about the shop. John could hear the shopkeeper growling in annoyance while the vampire lingered by the smaller merchandise with his hands in his coat pockets. Red eyes kept on returning to the shiny objects, but when John approached, the creature went into the shadows and disappeared.

John looked at the table and found an antique clock about the size of his fist. There were rotating, little spheres inside the glass dome that the face of the clock rested on. They glittered amiably in the light, reflecting the room in the silver. The numbers on the clock's face were made up of feathers while a little black bird rested on the minute hand. It was a curious little contraption. John picked it up and felt the odd sensation of flowing water as the spheres moved. He smiled. Abraham would love this.

* * *

Christmas had dawned with a blanket of snow covering the Earth. John watched the playful snowflakes absently as he waited for Abraham to arrive. There would be a party later that night, but the two friends had agreed to eat an early brunch together, and John held his gift in his lap while a brown paper package rested on the seat beside him. Abraham arrived with a cheerful smile and the two chatted about the weather for a few minutes before John revealed the present from his lap over the edge of the table.

Abraham frowned slightly, but chucked. "I told you I didn't want anything."

"I'm hard of hearing." John smiled and Abraham eventually did as well as the present was set before him.

John enjoyed watching the older man grin and fiddle with the clock like a school boy. After a minute or so, Abraham flinched and looked up at his friend apologetically, having forgotten about him for a moment. Blue eyes fell to the clock again. "I just wonder how this whole thing works, it doesn't need to be wound, so it must be the spheres…"

John nodded patiently and his arms descended to the chair beside him discreetly, but the keen blue eyes caught the movement and Abraham frowned sharply. "Don't tell me you got two…" He sighed at the brown package and looked at the clock and then his friend. "You really shouldn't waste your…."

"It's not from me."

The two men stared at one another and Abraham's shoulders eased in relief and he rested his hand beside the brown paper for John to hand it to him. "Who is it from? Arthur? Mina? Jo…"

"Alucard."

The hand instantly snapped away from the package, as if it was on fire, and Abraham gawked at John. "What?"

"He picked it out and I bought it." John smirked and tossed the package onto the older man's placemat, while chuckling darkly. "I don't think he knows I bought it, though. Alucard only saw me buy the clock and then he walked out the door..."

Abraham watched the brown object for several seconds before he frowned and slowly untied the string that held the paper together. He peeled back the wrapping and blinked at the scarf. "Blue…" he murmured as he picked it up and turned it in the light, feeling the soft wool.

"It matches your eyes." Another chuckle filled the room and Abraham set the scarf on his lap, with a hum of thought.

"He's a peculiar vampire." He sighed and folded it, laying the garment on his placemat. John smiled and glanced at the snow outside.

After they ate their food, John stopped to put on his coat, straightening his black tie as he said goodbye to Abraham, promising to return on time for the party.

* * *

John swallowed the doubt that was beginning to well in his throat, making it hard to breathe, and he stepped forward, slipping his hand into his pocket.

Alucard noticed the familiar presence and he turned around when the man stood behind him. The vampire opened his mouth to speak, but he gasped when a large hat was brought over his head. In shock, the vampire stood rigidly in place as John fixed the red Santa hat on Alucard's head with a grin. "Happy Christmas."

Large red eyes just stared at John, and the man patted the nosferatu on the head and left the shadows to join the party. Abraham turned when he heard John greet him, and he smiled as the younger man joined the small company. When he noticed John's smug expression he inquired about it, much to John's delight, for he started chuckling mischievously. He glanced at the wall in an obscure part of the room and blue eyes followed curiously.

Abraham started and stammered in a foreign language before he recovered and said something in English. "You did that?" Abraham stared at the vampire with growing humor. Alucard was still stunned, looking at John with an odd expression. He noticed his Master's eyes and pale hands removed the hat as the vampire disappeared. He reappeared between his Master and John, disturbing Jonathon and Mina who recoiled at the sudden appearance. Alucard ignored them and held the hat up, watching John.

"What is this?"

There was a pause as the Harkers looked from John to the vampire for an explanation.

"It's a red hat." John answered merrily, enjoying Alucard's blank expression that soon formed confusion.

"Why did you give it to me?"

"Because it's Christmas and you like red."

"So…" Alucard blinked, running his hand over the fuzzy object. He was at a loss for words and he stared at the hat. "Why does it look so…strange?"

The humans stared at the vampire for several moments. "You don't recognize it?" Abraham asked, making the vampire glance at him in puzzlement.

"Am I supposed to?"

"Do you know who Santa Claus is?"

The men looked at Mina and then Alucard as the vampire stiffened, not appreciating his state of confusion. "No." He growled at the hat in his hands, tightening his grip when the woman stifled a giggle. "Who is he?" He demanded suddenly, his temper beginning to flare. It simmered when Abraham glared a warning at him.

"A symbol of the holidays. He's a fairytale figure that rides in a sleigh and delivers presents to children." John admitted. He almost laughed at Alucard's face when the vampire gawked at him and then the hat.

"Why give it to me?" Alucard frowned, realizing the joke that had been played on him. Cross, the creature decided to ruin the humor. "I would kill the children, not give them gifts."

Abraham sighed in disappointment as the dismay that fell upon the group. He paused, looking at the upset vampire. A devious smile curled his lips and he snatched the hat away and forced it back onto Alucard's head, making the vampire recoil and try to remove it. "Now you'll have to wear that for the rest of the night."

Alucard's eyes grew and then narrowed into a glare as he hissed angrily at his Master. The hat nullified the intimidation technique and Abraham just smiled as the others laughed. Alucard stalked off to his corner, growling in Romanian, much to the others' amusement.

"That was quite daring, John." Hellsing smirked, looking at his friend before he had to leave to see to his other guests.

Alucard sat against the wall, hiding in the darkness with his face in his knees. He cursed Santa Claus to the deepest pits of Hell, until he realized that would be condemning himself to spend eternity with the fairytale spirit. He scowled and spent the night trying to determine a proper form of torture for the mysterious man who wore ridiculous, fuzzy hats.

After the party was over and the guests were gone, Abraham returned to his Slave with a humored expression. "What are you doing?" he crouched down before the creature and Alucard pulled his face from his knees.

"Thinking of a way to kill Santa Claus."

Abraham normally didn't approve of such responses, but he chortled at the vampire's words. "What if Santa gave you a present?"

"I wouldn't be happy unless it was his head."

Hellsing sighed and looked at the hat on the creature's head. He reached out and played with the white, fluffy ball. He looked at the red eyes and watched the glower for a moment. Abraham dropped the ball so that it hit Alucard in the face, drawing a hiss from the demon. The man smiled, content. "I recieved the scarf you picked out."

The glare diminished and Alucard blinked. "So Seward gave you two gifts?"

"He gave me one, and said the scarf was from you."

Grimacing, Alucard growled in displeasure. "He's a strange man."

Abraham was quiet while he watched Alucard. "Why did you choose that scarf?"

"He was looking for a gift. I just wanted to leave."

"But why did it catch your interest?"

Alucard grumbled, knowing the game his Master was playing. "Fine." He huffed and his chin went to his knees in defeat. "It reminded me of you…the color." The vampire glared at the smirk as a hand ruffled the red hat. "I hate blue." Alucard muttered menacingly, but Abraham just chuckled and stood.

"Happy Christmas."

Starting, wide red eyes stared at nothing for a moment before they relaxed and moved to Abraham as the man walked away.

"Happy Christmas."

Hellsing stopped and turned around at the voice, but Alucard was gone. He hesitated, then smiled, continuing to his bedroom as maids and other house servants cleared up the dining hall.

* * *

Abraham watched his vampire as it continued to stare at the clock from the shadows of the office. Blue eyes flicked to the clock and back to the red figure and the man smiled, looking down at his paperwork.

"It's a nice clock." Abraham commented.

Alucard didn't say anything and, moments later, he stepped backwards and melded into the wall.


End file.
